STAGE 1 MODULES
Introduction to Accounting and Finance
To teach students the role of accounting and its development and the nature and significance of accounting information. Students will be introduced to record keeping and data processing.
Financial statements, performance and asset management. Accounting concepts and conventions, accounts of limited companies. Basic interpretation of accounts, relevant costs, cost behaviour, break-even analysis, cost-profit-volume analysis, marginal costing, full costing, overhead absorption and job costing. Introduction to variance analysis and budgeting. Financial corporate objectives and financial arithmetic, sources of finance, functioning of stock markets and investment appraisal.
Business Economics
To introduce students to key economic concepts, principles and policy instruments in the context of the business environment. Theory of demand; Markets – Supply and Demand; Competition; Monopoly; Oligopoly; Economic issues related to labour markets and boundaries of the firm; Market failure and government intervention.
Quantitative Methods in Information Management
To teach students the skills of analysis and the use of mathematical / statistical techniques to tackle business problems. Descriptive statistics, Concepts of probability and probability distributions; Confidence intervals and Hypothesis testing; Linear regression; Normal and T-Distribution.
Foundations of Marketing
To introduce students to the concepts and principles of marketing and their application. Marketing environment; Consumer and organisational buying behaviour; Market segmentation, targeting and positioning; Marketing planning and control; Product and pricing strategies; Marketing channels and supply chain; Marketing communication strategy.
Student Self Development
To enable students to identify their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for further development throughout their university career, and to improve their ability to cope with academic life at the university.
People, Work and Organisations
To develop an understanding of some of the key factors that impact upon and influence human behaviour in organisations and the workplace and address ethical and corporate social responsibility issues associated with these factors whilst doing so.
Students will develop an awareness of the assumptions and approaches which underpin the differing theoretical perspectives employed for studying people in organisations and the workplace. Specifically, the disciplines of Organisational Behaviour (OB), Organisational Psychology (OP), Work Sociology (WS), Employee Relations (ER), Organisational Analysis (OA) and Human Resource Management (HRM).
It will also enable students to understand their own and others’ roles in organisations and the workplace more effectively.
Operations and Information Systems Management
To appreciate the real life applicability and use of Operations Management and Information Systems in contemporary operations, both manufacturing and services.
Students become aware of key themes within Operations and Information Systems with which they can identify. It will enhance their understanding of the role played by information systems in the production of manufactured goods and service good production and delivery.
STAGE 2 MODULES
Marketing Management and Strategy
To gain an understanding of a full range of marketing management and strategy frameworks. Strategic marketing; Consumer behaviour; Organisational buying behaviour; Competitive macro environment; Strategic marketing analysis; Marketing strategy formulation; Relationship marketing strategies; E-marketing strategy; Marketing strategy for mass-mediated services.
Economics of Industry
To provide students with an awareness of the organisation structure of industry, with an emphasis on interactions among firms in an industry. Students will gain a better understanding of how firms compete and organise themselves. Market and competitive analysis; Boundaries of the firm; Position and dynamics; Economies of vertical integration; Diversification; Market and industrial analysis; Strategic positioning; Competitive advantage; Internal organisation.
Business Law
To provide an understanding of the main legal structures in business with particular reference to Law of Contract, Tort and an introduction to Agency, Partnership and Company law. Formation of contract; Terms of a contract; Vitiating factors; Discharge of contracts; Remedies for breach of contract; Sale and supply of goods and services; Law of agency; Law of partnership; Law of torts; Company law.
Financial Management
An introduction to the key aspects of financial management to boost the profitability of a business entity as well as create and improve shareholder value. To develop an understanding of how business are financed, and how methods of financing can affect decision-making. Investment appraisal; Risk and return; Bond valuation; Valuation of shares and firm; Cost of capital; Basic capital budgeting decisions; Dividend policy and share repurchase; Basic capital structure theory; Working capital management.
Resource Planning
To extend and further develop some of the themes and issues associated with operations planning, quality management and capacity management. To explore new concepts and techniques for the management of operations, including introductions to reliability, statistical process control, purchasing and materials management. Reliability and equipment selection; Statistical process control; Capacity management; Inventory management; Material requirements planning (MRPI); Purchasing.
Management of Service Operations
To expand on the study of service characteristics of organisations and their implications on the production of quality and the control of performance of service operations. Service package/ product characteristics; Service strategy; Service distribution and location; Service process design and layout; Productivity measurement in services; Management of queues; Customer satisfaction and service quality link.
Capital Markets, Investment and Finance
To provide an understanding of the workings of capital markets and the relationship between risk and returns. To provide practical skills in the evaluation of corporate investments and financing decisions. Corporate valuation and value-based management; Mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; Derivatives management; Multinational financial management.
Employability and Enterprise Skills
To provide students a critical understanding of what it takes to be successful in securing and developing a career in a competitive employment market. Students will gain knowledge and understanding of the skills and professional behaviour required.
It will also develop effective tools to enable students to audit skills for employment. This will enable students to create immediate and long-term personal and career development plans, and have opportunities to put these skills into practice.
The Transformation of Work
This is a topical course and subjects may change to reflect this but important topics include the following: Sociological approaches to work; Traditional work organisation; Class, occupation and identity; New forms of work; Identity and work; Emotional labour; Hidden work; Surveillance; Gender and Masculinity; Race; Conflict and Misbehaviour.
Integrated Marketing Communications
To understand the role and tools of integrated marketing communications within the marketing strategy, the characteristics of the varied communication tools, the issues affecting their selection and application, and the importance of integrating them through structured planning.
Marketing Research
Marketing Research is a function that sits at the very heart of the marketing philosophy. If businesses aim to understand their customers, competitors and environments in order to create and maintain a competitive advantage, then using relevant and timely Marketing Research is essential.
This module is designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to design, implement, analyse and use good quality and effective research. It will cover a range of research techniques as well as an understanding of the process of Marketing Research.
STAGE 3 MODULES
International Business Strategy
To develop an understanding of the theories and concepts that underpin the strategic moves of organisations in their internationalisation process. Addressing strategic issues in the context of regional and global competitive factors. International trade theory; Modes of foreign market servicing; Strategy, structure and control; Functional strategies.
Global Business Environment
Establish a firm foundation in the practice of international business through an in-depth understanding of the key environmental factors that impact on the global competitive moves of companies. Globalisation; Political, economic and cultural environment; International capital flows and financial volatility; Regionalisation of world economy; Regulation of international business.
Understanding Strategic Management
To develop an understanding of, and ability in, the theory and practice of Strategic Management. Students will be exposed to the concepts and frameworks for the analysis of the external and internal environments of organisations, generations of strategic alternatives, as well as implementations and evaluations of strategies. Environment scanning and industry analysis; Internal scanning and organisational analysis; Strategic formulation; Strategic choice; Strategy Implementation; Evaluation and control; Strategic audit.
Applied Strategic Management
To develop the relevant knowledge, understanding and analytical abilities to undertake an in-depth strategic analysis of business organisations. Strategic implementation; Strategy and structure; Portfolio management; Corporate parenting; Managing strategic change; Measuring company performance.
International and Comparative Employment Relations
Develops an understanding of the impact of the internationalisation of business on the management of people. Extents the knowledge and understanding of the critical functions and contribution of human resource managament in a multinational context.
International Marketing
To develop knowledge and understanding of key issues associated with international marketing, together with an understanding of the cultural environments and their effect on the marketing mix in global marketing. Students also develop skills in researching and analysing international marketing opportunities, as well as gaining an understanding of different market entry strategies.
International Finance
To evaluate investment and financing decisions for multinational firms, based on the principles of sustainable and responsible investment and financing. Students also evaluate strategies for managing risk by companies who trade internationally, and to understand reasons for exchange rate movements.
World Class Operations
Students explore issues, concepts and techniques for resource planning and scheduling, and for materials and inventory management for operations in both manufacturing and service environments. They develop knowledge and understanding of the 'World Class Operations' concept, it’s essential characteristics, and its practical implementation.
Ethics in Business and Society
To provide a basic understanding of the philosophical and sociological context of business ethics and to introduce students to some of the most prominent ethical frameworks that can be used to analyse policy and practice in contemporary business organisations.
Marketing and Entrepreneurship
To stimulate an interest in and understanding of research into entrepreneurship and marketing and to examine the interface between entrepreneurship and other disciplines, especially marketing. This will encourage creative/entrepreneurial thinking about marketing opportunities & business growth and to critically evaluate entrepreneurial new business ventures.
Human Resource Development
To stimulate a critical understanding of the systemic nature of skill and expertise as well as the way that power relations can impact on these. This provides students with a critical evaluation of the way skill is conceptualised and understood and an understanding of international practice. Students also cover current debates on the changing nature of skills at work.
Strategic Information Systems
To have a strategic understanding of business information systems in organisations, Students will develop skills in analysing and planning the uses of business information systems in organisations to yield better efficiency, effectiveness and value.
